Tuesday, March 10, 2009

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE


During my few first years here in LA LA land I did alot of work on sets in different capacities.  My goal was to get as much experience around productions as I could, the more familiar you are with the inner workings of a thing, the better prepared you are to do a good job at the piece of it you love, for me it's acting.

Within my first few months of living here, I got a job working on a film called Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, (Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow).  It was one of my first jobs as a stand in and background actor (otherwise known as an "extra").  I would come to understand that being a stand -in or working background is one of the best ways to get to know the workings of set.  Many folks will tell you not to take such jobs if you hope to be working an actor, to that I say hogwash.... (whatever that means).  I could have been waiting tables for those years, but instead, I was on sets on dramas, comedies, feature films, commercials, live sit-coms, you name it-I've worked on a set like it- and as a result I am completely comfortable in those arenas.  Take any jobs you can on sets no matter what your ultimate goal in the business is, get familiar, understand what its like to be in the shoes of all the people around you.... invaluable.  I have done them all.

Anyway,  while on the set of Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, I was approached by a guy from Central Casting who was assigned the task of finding a photo-double for one of the lead actors on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  That actor was Terry Farrell, and the character wasDax.

I went Paramount studios for the interview the following week and as I sat in waiting area the second A.D. of the Star Trek crew walked right by me and said "Hey Terry".... then backed up, did a double take, and smiled from ear to ear.   I knew then that I had the job.  

For the remainder of the series (3 more seasons) I was a full time Star Trek: Deep Space Nine employee, where I doubled Dax and I played any number of aliens.... the magic of make up made us all recyclable... lucky for us.  One of the fun characters I got to play was M'Pella, a Dabo Girl in Quark's bar.  I was the tall scantily clad one in red lace.  True trekkies might be able to recall that.  

To this day, my experience on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine one of the most fun jobs and great groups of people I have ever had the pleasure of  working with.  

-Cathy DeBuono